Human Activities

Fishing

Commercial
Recreational
Figure App.C.4.2a.. Fishing activity (number of trip and number of anglers per trip) for Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels (CPFVs) operating out of ports in Santa Barbara and Ventura from 2000 to 2012. Figure: Chen et al. 2015b

Figure App.C.4.2a.. Fishing activity (number of trip and number of anglers per trip) for Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels (CPFVs) operating out of ports in Santa Barbara and Ventura from 2000 to 2012. Figure: Chen et al. 2015b

Figure App.C.4.2b.. A figure of Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) trips and anglers per trip accross years (2000 - 2012).

Figure App.C.4.2b.. A figure of Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel (CPFV) trips and anglers per trip accross years (2000 - 2012).

Click for Details Fishing activity landings for Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels (CPFVs) operating out of ports in Santa Barbara and Ventura from 2000 to 2012. Activity landings in 2011 and 2012 returned to levels seen in the early 2000s. Figure: Chen et al. 2015b

Oil & Gas

Figure App.C.4.17.. A figure showing trends in offshore oil and gas activity in Southern California from 1975 - 2014.

Figure App.C.4.17.. A figure showing trends in offshore oil and gas activity in Southern California from 1975 - 2014.

Click for Details The status and trends of offshore oil and gas activity in southern California was measured using a normalized index of oil and gas production from offshore wells in state and federal waters in California. Activity has been stable over the last five years, but the short-term average was well below the long-term average (dashed green line). A rather steady decrease in oil and gas production has occurred since the mid-1990s. Data source: Annual reports of the California State Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources; Figure: K. Andrews/NOAA
Oil & Gas Maps
Offshore Oil Platforms
Figure App.C.2.1.. A map of offshore oil platforms within the Santa Barbara Channel, from west to east: Hondo, Harmony, Heritage, Holly, C, B, A, Hillhouse, Habitat, Henry, Houchin, Hogan, Rincon Island, Grace, Gilda, Gail, and Gina.

Figure App.C.2.1.. A map of offshore oil platforms within the Santa Barbara Channel, from west to east: Hondo, Harmony, Heritage, Holly, C, B, A, Hillhouse, Habitat, Henry, Houchin, Hogan, Rincon Island, Grace, Gilda, Gail, and Gina.

Click for Details Data source: State of California GeoPortal; Map: M. Cajandig/NOAA
2015 Refugio Oil Spill
Figure App.C.2.3.. A map showing the area around the Santa Barbara Coast affected by the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.

Figure App.C.2.3.. A map showing the area around the Santa Barbara Coast affected by the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill.

Click for Details Diagonal black lines cover the area where oil sheen was observed after the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill. The dark black line indicates the short-term fishery closures. See Figures C2.4 and C13.5 for the modeled oil transport, which predicts crude oil reaching sanctuary waters, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz islands north-facing beaches days after the spill. Data source: Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Technique (SCAT) Shoreline Oiling Map. Map: M. Cajandig/NOAA
Figure App.C.2.4.. A map showing projected oil movement following the Refugio Oil Spill in May 2015.

Figure App.C.2.4.. A map showing projected oil movement following the Refugio Oil Spill in May 2015.

Click for Details Modeled oil trajectories based on high frequency (HF) radar and averaged sea surface current vectors during the month of May 2015 (green and blue lines). Yellow triangles represent SCCOOS HF Radar stations, and oil platforms are shown as small gray dots. The HF station at Gaviota was installed immediately after the spill to avoid local data gaps during this critical monitoring time period. It was only active for one and a half months. PTC = Point Conception; RFG = Refugio State Beach; COP = Coal Oil Point; SSD = Summerland Sanitary District; MGS = Mandalay Generating Station; SCI = Santa Cruz Island. Pink lines indicate commercial shipping lanes. The black line encircles the region of interest. Figure: B. Emery and L. Washburn/UCSB
Figure App.C.2.5.. An image of modeled sea surface current directions used to predict oil movement from May 20 to May 25, immediately following the Refugio Oil Spill (2015).

Figure App.C.2.5.. An image of modeled sea surface current directions used to predict oil movement from May 20 to May 25, immediately following the Refugio Oil Spill (2015).

Click for Details Daily snapshots of oil transport simulations (blue dots) based on near-real time sea surface current direction and speeds (black arrows) from May 20 to 25, 2015, the days just after the Refugio oil spill. Yellow triangles represent SCCOOS high frequency radar (HFR) observation stations. PTC = Point Conception; RFG = Refugio State Beach; COP = Coal Oil Point. Not pictured is a HFR station at Gaviota, which was temporarily installed for one and half months following the spill (currently no longer active, see http://washburnlab.msi.ucsb.edu/mtu1) to address local data gaps. Not labeled is the yellow triangle/HFR station on Santa Cruz Island. Pink lines indicated commercial shipping lanes. The full oil transport model simulation can be viewed online. Source: SCCOOS; Figure: B. Emery and L. Washburn/UCSB

Vessel Traffic

Map: Vessel Traffic Patterns
Figure App.C.4.12.. A map showing traffic patterns of large commercial shipping vessels through the Sanctuary (2008, 2010, 2014).

Figure App.C.4.12.. A map showing traffic patterns of large commercial shipping vessels through the Sanctuary (2008, 2010, 2014).

Click for Details Traffic patterns of large commercial vessels (cargo and tanker vessels) in the Santa Barbara Channel region for 2008, 2010, and 2014. The number of commercial ship transits is shown, using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data transmitted from ships. Vessels transiting to and from the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach that pass by the northern Channel Islands use either the Santa Barbara Channel Traffic Separation Scheme around the north side of the islands, or take routes south of the islands. Data source: USCG AIS data, processed by NMFS; Figure: MSWGSS 2016
Map: Vessel Groundings
Figure App.C.3.1.. A map showing vessel grounding locations from 1999 to 2016.

Figure App.C.3.1.. A map showing vessel grounding locations from 1999 to 2016.

Click for Details Reported vessel grounding locations from 1999 to 2016 are shown in the map above. Not all groundings in the CINMS database are included as coordinates are unavailable for some grounding events. Data source: Vessel Assist; Map: M. Cajandig/NOAA

Research

Human Impacts

Contaminants

Contaminants in Mussels

Marine Debris

Map: debris in CalCOFI trawls (historical)
Figure App.C.4.15.. A figure showing the percentage of sampling stations with plastic debris across three sampling years.

Figure App.C.4.15.. A figure showing the percentage of sampling stations with plastic debris across three sampling years.

Click for Details Variation over time in percentage of stations from winter CalCOFI cruises with plastic micro-debris. Micro-debris was present in more than 50 percent of samples at each time period. Figure: Gilfillan et al. 2009

Noise

Listening Stations
Figure App.C.2.8.. A map showing the location of historic (green dots) and current (yellow dots) passive acoustic monitoring stations around the Sanctuary and Santa Barbara Channel.

Figure App.C.2.8.. A map showing the location of historic (green dots) and current (yellow dots) passive acoustic monitoring stations around the Sanctuary and Santa Barbara Channel.

Click for Details Previous (green dots) and current (yellow dots) passive acoustic monitoring stations in and around CINMS are shown along with several sources of anthropogenic noise: ports and harbors, oil platforms, shipping lanes, and military testing zones. SIO = Scripps Institution of Oceanography; NOAA NRS = Noise Reference Station. Map: M. Cajandig/NOAA

Seabird disturbance

Comparison: By Region
Figure App.C.4.9.. A figure showing rates of human-caused distubance to seabird breeding and nesting sites across three regions: the south coast (SCSR), central coast (CCSR), and north central coast (NCCSR)

Figure App.C.4.9.. A figure showing rates of human-caused distubance to seabird breeding and nesting sites across three regions: the south coast (SCSR), central coast (CCSR), and north central coast (NCCSR)

Click for Details Rates of human-caused disturbance to seabird breeding and roosting sites were low on Santa Cruz Island (SC) compared to other sites across the south coast (SCSR), central coast (CCSR), and north central coast (NCCSR) study regions. Activities noted as causing disturbance at SC in 2012 to 2013 were human power boats, recreational fishing boats, recreational power boats, commercial fishing boats, airplanes, and helicopters. SD = San Diego, PV = Palos Verdes Peninsula, SB = Shell Beach, MD = Montaña de Oro, EB = Estero Bluffs, MO = Montara, PR = Point Reyes, BO = Bodega. Figure: Robinette et al. 2015

Whale entanglement

Map: Whale Overlap with Fishing
Blue
Figure App.C.4.11a.. A map showing the risk posed to blue whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Figure App.C.4.11a.. A map showing the risk posed to blue whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Click for Details Co-occurrence score (risk) based on multi-year average whale density and fishing effort for 11 fisheries is shown for quarters three (Q3) and four (Q4) for blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). In Santa Barbara from July to December, there is an elevated risk area for multiple whale species with the California halibut/white seabass set gillnet, hagfish trap, rock crab trap, sablefish, spiny lobster trap, and spot prawn trap fisheries. Figure: Saez et al. 2013
Fin
Figure App.C.4.11b.. A map showing the risk posed to fin whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Figure App.C.4.11b.. A map showing the risk posed to fin whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Click for Details Co-occurrence score (risk) based on multi-year average whale density and fishing effort for 11 fisheries is shown for quarters three (Q3) and four (Q4) fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). In Santa Barbara from July to December, there is an elevated risk area for multiple whale species with the California halibut/white seabass set gillnet, hagfish trap, rock crab trap, sablefish, spiny lobster trap, and spot prawn trap fisheries. Figure: Saez et al. 2013
Humpback
Figure App.C.4.11c.. A map showing the risk posed to humpback whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Figure App.C.4.11c.. A map showing the risk posed to humpback whales from 11 fixed gear fisheries (a type of commercial fishing) in the Southern California Bight.

Click for Details Co-occurrence score (risk) based on multi-year average whale density and fishing effort for 11 fisheries is shown for quarters three (Q3) and four (Q4) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In Santa Barbara from July to December, there is an elevated risk area for multiple whale species with the California halibut/white seabass set gillnet, hagfish trap, rock crab trap, sablefish, spiny lobster trap, and spot prawn trap fisheries. Figure: Saez et al. 2013